Appliances, such as dishwasher appliances, generally include one or more user interfaces. The user interface is often provided to receive instructions or provide feedback to a user regarding operation of the appliance. For instance, a display and/or one or more input selectors may be provided as part of a user interface. Selections regarding specific operations may be made at an input selector and reflected by a display. In the case of dishwasher appliances, one or more buttons are provided to receive command instructions from a user. Through the input of such commands, the user may control the operation of the appliance.
The design of the buttons on the user interface is important to the overall consumer satisfaction with the appliance. In order to satisfy consumers, the buttons must have a satisfactory fit and feel. Thus, the buttons should be small to fit within a limited space provided by the control panel and should provide a soft, consistent feel to consumers as they depress the button.
Currently, many buttons on appliance user interface include button springs, such as coil springs, that are designed to adjust from an undepressed configuration to a depressed configuration when a user of the appliance pushes the button and return to the undepressed configuration when the user releases the button. When depressed, the button may engage a switch. The design of the button springs thus affects the fit and feel of the buttons on the control panel. For instance, in many current appliance interface designs, the spring tends to provide a variable force as it is depressed. Furthermore, the spring may be difficult to align or keep aligned during use. In some cases, the spring may drift when the button is depressed. In other words, the button will have a loose feel and move perpendicularly to the intended axis of movement (i.e., the direction in which the button is being depressed). In some instances, the button may become so misaligned that it fails to consistently move or displace to the same point. In turn, the button may fail to activate the intended switch. Thus, the button may not suitably communicate with the switch of the user interface on a consistent basis.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an appliance or appliance user interface that addresses one or more of the above issues. In particular, it may be advantageous to provide an appliance or appliance user interface having a consistent feel, improved assembly, and reduced drift.